Game apparatus



Feb. 2 1926. 1,571,726

J. B. KRUG GAME APPA'RATUS Filed Nov. 19, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 2,1926. 1,571,726

J. B. KRUG v GAME APPARATUS l Filed Nov. 19, 1921 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 2y 192.5.

Unire stares JOHN B. KRUGJ @1T EHILADELPEA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application illed November 19, 1921.

To all 'io/ioni. it 71mg/ concern lle it known that l, .lortu B. Kuno, a citizen ot' the Unite-d States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county oit lhiladeliiliia and State ot lennsylvania, have invented an liiiproved Gaine Apparatus, ot which the following `is a specification.V

My invent-ion is an improved gaine apparatus designed to provide for the play ing ot indoor baseball by two or iiiore persons, and the objects ot iny invention are, primarily, to simulate as nearly as imiy be conduct oli an actual ganie ot baseball; to provide improve-d ineaiis t'or delivering the ball to the bat under varying conditions et rotation, speed and direction; and to provide figures represeiiting players ou the vai'ious bases which maybe brought to erect position to indicate a player on base without reaching over the board.

The characteristic features ofi iiiy invention will inoie fully appear troni the following description and theI accompanying drawings in illustration thereot'.

ln the drawings, Fig. 1 is a. plan view ot a gaine board embodying niy invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view oit the board on the line 2*-2 ot Fig. 1 illustrating the torni and mounting ot the batting 'device; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the board on the line ot Fig. 1: Fig. l is an enlarged view ot a section of the board illustrating the mounting ot the bascinen; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a Section of the board and pitching appa`- ratus; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a` clip for catching a pitched or batted ball.

As illustrated in the drawings, a board A., provided with the peripheral riin B and th-e legs C, is laid out in the forni ot a usual baseball diamond comprising a pitehers box 1, honie plate 2, bases 3, l and 5 connected by suitable runways 6, and the outfields.

The ball field is divided by dotted lines 7 into fair territory, within the dotted foul lines, and foul territor7 between suoli lines and the edges ot the boar-d. rllie lair territory is divided by marginal notations into single, double7 and triple play regions. v h

A number ol spring clips 8 having prongs S tor the engagement ot the ball are secured by legs 8 to the board in such positions as would be covered by players ot usual Serial No. 516309.

baseball team, the lodgiuent of the ball in a clip being decine-d equivalent to a catch off the ball by a. player.

A :all guide 9 is fined to the board ad- ]acent to the pitehers .box and contains a seat Qvfor holding the ball and a downwardly inclined groove. 9 extending 'l'ron'i such sat to the plane ot' the board so as to direct the ball when discharged troni the seat toward the home plate regardless ofi the angle ot the blow by which the ball is struck.

The ball. is projected il'roni its seat by a pitching device comprising a plunger' 10 reeiprocabl-e in a housing 1l carried on a strut 12 which passes tl'irough the slot l) in the board and is fixed to a laterally Inovable bar 1S, the latter being' pivoted by the pin 14 to the under side oit the board and extending to the corner thereof opposite the pitchers box, where its tree end is supported by a cross piece 15. The housing 11 contains a longitudinal slot 11 through which proj eets an arni 10 ot the plunger 10, the arin having connected therewith an elastic 16 anchored to the bar 13, whereby the plunger is normally retracted in the housing. A cord 17 is also fixed to the arin 10 and passes through an eyelet 13 on the arni 13 and thence along the latter to the, corner opposite the home plate. By pulling upon the eoid 17, the plunger` 1() inay be projected troni its housing and its frictional head 10 caused to strike the ball E to give it a blow of such Jforce and froin such angle as may be deeined expedient by the player to get thek ball over the hoine plate without being struck by thel batsman.

Thef batting device comprises a rotary post or bearing 24e journalled in one of the sockets 25 in the gaine board7 the post having integrally formed therewith a handle 26 and an inclined rod 26 having on the end thereof a striking head 2? adapted to be oscillated across the heine plate to strik-e a pitched ball passing thereover and drive it out into the field. i

Adjacent to each of the bases there is formed in the gaine board a flaring slot 2S through which projects a device 29 pivotally mounted on the pintle 30 journalled iii the board. The portion of the device 29 extending above the surface of the board is inade to represent a player and is so formed as to lie flat against the board in one position and to stencil ereet in the other position.

The lower end ot' the device 29 has journalled therein a yoke Vor linl 29', one leg of which has connected thereto an elastic band 31 anchored to the bottom of the board and exerting a pull on the device 29 causing its upper portion to normally lie flat against the upper surface of the game board. The other leg et theJ linlr 30 has connected therewith a flexible cord 32 passing through eyelets 33 to the corner ot the board adjacent to the home plate and preferably provided at its end With the pull button or ring 3ft. By pulling Iupon a cord 32 the corresponding baseman 29 is drawn, against the resistance et the elastic 31, from a recumbent into an erect position, in Which position it is held by the engagement ot its lower end in the recess 35 of the leaf spring 35 fixed to Jthe underside of the board. n. touch with the linger or" the erect baseman will effect the disengagement or" the spring 35 and lower end 0i the device 29 and permit the spring 31 to draw the baseman to its normal position. flat on the board.

In playing the game, the players sit at opposite corners ot the board. 'A ball or marble is placed in the seat 9 and the player operating the pitching device adjusts the rod 13 laterally in accordance with the English or angular twist he desires to give to the ball and when the rod is in the desired position pulls the cord 17 to operate the plunger 10 with such 'force as he deems advisable to eject the ball trom its seat and deliver it to the batter. The player at the opposite corner et the table oscillates the bat 2G over the home plate to meet the oncoming ball and it he strikes the same the ball is driven over the table in accordance with the skill ot the players. It a batted ball becomes engaged in any ot' the clips, the batter is ont, but it he escapes these hazards the batter score-s in accordance with the region ot the board to which the ball is knocked, as a single, double or triple play. To register his success, the player operating the bat pullsI the appropriate cord 32 to cause the proper baseman to assume the erect position on the appropriate base. Should the batter 'fail to strike a ball passing over the plate, or knock it into `foul territory, a strike is counted against him as in usual outdoor playing.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a game apparatus of the character described, a board representing a ball field, ball delivering and batting mechanism connected with said board, a device representing a player pivotally connected to said board and extending through a slottherein, a member connected with said device for moving it to an upright position, and tripping mechanism for engaging and holding said device in an upright position.

2. In a game apparatus 0f the character described, a board representing a ball field, batt-ing mechanism carried upon said lield, a ball seat, and means for delivering said ball from said seat to said batting mechanism and comprising a housing, a plunger reciprocable in said housing, elastic means for normally retracting said plunger in said housing, manually operable means tor actuating said plunger to strike said ball.

3. In a game apparatus of the character described, a board representing a ball field, batting mechanism journalled in said board, and ball delivering` mechanism comprising a housing, a plunger reciprocable in said housing, elastic means normally retracting said plunger in said housing, means lfor manually advancing said plunger to actu-.ate a ball, and a mounting for said housing connected with saidfboard and movable laterally relatively to the surface thereot'.

l. In a game apparatus ot the cha 'acter described. a board representing a ball lield, batting' mechanism carried by said board, a ball seat on said board, a rod pivotally connected with the under side ot said board, a housing carried by said rod above the upper surface oi said board, a plunger in said housing, elastic means norn'ially retracting said plunger, and a member by which said plunger may be manually advanced unde the control of a player.

Signed at Philadelphia, in the county ot Philadelphia, and State ot Pennsylvania, this 15th day of November, 1921.

JOI-IN B. KRUG. 

